CVE-2023-33779 in XXL-Job
Summary
by MITRE • 05/26/2023
A lateral privilege escalation vulnerability in XXL-Job v2.4.1 allows users to execute arbitrary commands on another user's account via a crafted POST request to the component /jobinfo/.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/13/2025
The vulnerability CVE-2023-33779 represents a critical lateral privilege escalation flaw within XXL-Job version 2.4.1 that enables malicious actors to execute arbitrary commands on behalf of other users through a specifically crafted POST request targeting the /jobinfo/ component. This vulnerability fundamentally undermines the security model of the job scheduling system by allowing unauthorized command execution across user boundaries. The flaw exists in the way the application processes job information requests, particularly when handling user permissions and authentication contexts during job creation or modification operations. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious POST requests that manipulate the job information endpoint to escalate privileges and gain unauthorized access to other user accounts within the system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and improper access control mechanisms within the XXL-Job framework's job information handling module. When processing requests to the /jobinfo/ endpoint, the system fails to properly authenticate and authorize user actions, particularly when dealing with job creation or modification operations that involve command execution. This weakness allows attackers to inject malicious payloads that bypass normal permission checks and execute commands with elevated privileges. The vulnerability specifically affects the job scheduling component where user-generated job configurations are processed, creating an attack surface where command injection can occur through improperly sanitized user inputs. The flaw operates at the application layer and can be exploited remotely without requiring prior authentication to the system, making it particularly dangerous in environments where XXL-Job is exposed to untrusted networks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation to encompass full system compromise and unauthorized access to sensitive data. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can execute arbitrary commands on the target system, potentially leading to complete system takeover, data exfiltration, and persistent backdoor installation. The lateral movement capability allows attackers to escalate their access from one user account to another, enabling them to access job configurations, credentials, and other sensitive information stored within the XXL-Job system. This vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and can result in significant business disruption, regulatory compliance violations, and financial losses. The impact is particularly severe in enterprise environments where XXL-Job is used for critical job scheduling operations and where multiple users with varying permission levels interact with the system.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including applying the latest security patches released by XXL-Job maintainers, implementing network segmentation to restrict access to the /jobinfo/ endpoint, and deploying additional authentication controls for job scheduling operations. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-798 and CWE-284 categories, representing improper credential handling and insufficient access control respectively. From an ATT&CK perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1078 for valid accounts and T1059 for command and scripting interpreter, as it enables attackers to leverage existing accounts to execute commands and maintain persistence. Additional mitigations include implementing input validation and sanitization for all user-supplied data, deploying web application firewalls to monitor and filter suspicious POST requests, and conducting regular security assessments of job scheduling components. System administrators should also consider implementing monitoring solutions to detect unusual job execution patterns and unauthorized access attempts to the job information endpoint.